Rod bundling and stacking apparatus

ABSTRACT

A method and apparatus for stacking metal rods for bundling, in which the rods are moved laterally into contact with rotatable magnetic means which moves the rods in a horizontally disposed cylindrical locus. As the rods are moved about the locus they are separated successively from the magnetic means whereupon they drop into a cradle.

United States Patent [1 1 Mulcahy et al.

1 ROD BUNDLING AND STACKING APPARATUS [75] Inventors: Joseph Aloysius Mulcahy, Brooklin,

Ontario; Harry Joseph Jones, Bowmanville, Ontario; Stephen Douglas Batram, Oshawa, Ontario, all of Canada [73] Assignee: Ferrco Engineering Limited,

Whitby, Ontario, Canada [22] Filed: Mar. 29, 1973 [21] Appl. No.: 345,856

[52] US. Cl. 214/6 FS, 53/236, 214/6 D [51] Int. Cl. B65g 57/00 [58] Field of Search 2l4/6.5, 6 H, 6 N, 6 DK,

214/6 DS, 6 FS, 6 D, 6 G; 53/236, 148

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,870,533 8/1932 Scott et a1 53/148 X 1 Mar. 18, 1975 3,324,622 6/1967 Schmermund 53/236 X 3,338,376 8/1967 Cross 214/6 G UX 3,531,001 9/1970 Lunden 214/6 DK 3,548,895 12/1970 Gentry, Jr 214/6 H X 3,627,099 12/1971 Shaffer 214/6 H 3,742,678 7/1973 Wyatt 53/236 FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 147,529 10/1962 U.S.S.R 53/236 Primary Examiner-Robert J. Spar Assistant Examiner-R. B. Johnson [57] ABSTRACT A method and apparatus for stacking metal rods for bundling, in which the rods are moved laterally into contact with rotatable magnetic means which moves the rods in a horizontally disposed cylindrical locus. As the rods are moved about the locus they are separated successively from the magnetic means whereupon they drop into a cradle.

3 Claims, 6 Drawing Figures TED MAR 1 81975 PATEN OP NW m vw 7.. o. 5::

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vm Q 3 9 @m @m PMEMEW 1 1% sum 2- or 2 Q. @v wm mm 3 bu mm ROD BUNDLING AND STACKING APPARATUS This invention relates to the production of metal rods such as reinforcing steel bars and more particularly to the bundling of such rods for handling.

To handle steel reinforcing rods in bulk they are bound together in bundles. To stack the rods for bundling they are usually cut from a continuous strand and ejected laterally from a conveyor into a cradle. As the rods fall into the cradle they become twisted haphazardly or jack-strawed" because of the length of the rods in relation to their diameter. When the bundle is strapped the rods are tangled and it is laborious for workmen to untangle each rod on a construction site.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved method and apparatus for bundling metal rods.

An example embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a side view in elevation of a rod bundling apparatus;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the stacking device of the apparatus of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view, broken away and in cross-section, showing a magnetic wheel of the stacking device of FIG. 1 and 2;

FIG. 4 is a partial side view of the device of FIG. 1, showing the humping end of the cross-conveyor of the stacking device in a lowered position; and

FIG. 5 and FIG. 6 are a partial side view similar to FIG. 1 showing the operation of the peeler in relation to the magnetic wheel.

The example embodiment shown in the drawings consists of a stacking device 10 used in conjunction with a strapping apparatus 12. Steel rods 14, normally severed from an endless strand emanating from casting apparatus and arranged side by side by a skew conveyor, are delivered onto a horizontal, roller conveyor 16 seen in FIGS. 1, 2 and 4 of the drawings. Roller conveyor 16 consists of a bank of parallel rollers 18 each journally mounted on a pedestal 20 resting on a frame 21 on a base 22 and spaced apart to accommodate a parallel row of endless chains 23 of a horizontal humping conveyor or cross-conveyor 24 positioned at right angles to roller conveyor 14. Each endless chain 23 passes over an end sprocket 26 adjacent one side edge of roller conveyor 16, an end sprocket 28 remote from the other side edge of the roller conveyor, a drive sprocket 30 intermediate the roller conveyor and sprocket 28, and a reverse idler sprocket 32 adjacent the drive sprocket, both sprockets 30 and 32 being mounted on frame 21. End sprockets 26 are keyed on a single shaft 34 slidable in a plurality of slotted flanges 36 fixed to a reject cradle 38 on base 22. Shaft 34 is journalled in a plurality of bearings 40 each mounted on the end of an hydraulic jack 42 which is pivotably mounted on base 22. The upper runs of chains 33 are substantially horizontal.

FIG. 3, each magnetic wheel 46 consists of a hub 48 of non-magnetic material having a rim 50 carrying pairs of transverse dipole magnets 51 circumscribing the rim and all oriented in the same direction. A pair of annular pole plates 52 are fixed to the opposed sides of rim 50 in contact with the polar ends of magnets 51. Each pole plate has an inwardly turning flange 54 separated from rim 50 by a band 56 of non-magnetic material and presenting a circumferential bearing surface. A pair of annular sprocket plates 58 are bolted to pole plates 52 and rim 50 with the teeth 60 of the sprocket plates projecting radially outward from flanges 54. Flanges 54 of all magnetic wheels 46 collectively define a horizontal cylindrical locus 61 and the upper runs of claims 23 in-- tersect locus 61 above its horizontal axial plane.

A stripper peeler arm 62 is journally mounted on shaft 44, between each end sprocket 28 and its associated magnetic wheel 46, and projects downwardly to terminate in a leading edge 64 intersecting the locus of a cylinder generated by the magnetic wheel at its circumference. Each peeler arm 62 is connected, by a rod 66 of a bell crank 68, with an oscillating drive shaft 70 mounted on frame 21.

Shaft 44 and its associated chains 23, magnetic wheels 46 and peeler arms 62 are positioned directly above a cradle 72 having a flat bottom 74 and vertical sides 76 forming a channel 77. Cradle 72 is mounted on base 22 and is sectioned longitudinally, as seen in FIG. 2, to provide a plurality-of gaps 78. Strapper 12, of known design, is mounted on a wheeled carriage 80 which travels on rails 82 fixed on base 22 parallel to cradle 72. A laterally slidable frame 84 is mounted on carriage 80 and carries a pair of lower pivotable jaws 86 and a vertically movable upper strapping arm 88. laws 86 and member 88 are movable into any one of gaps 78 in cradle 72.

In the operation of the example embodiment, a row of parallel rods 14 is delivered onto, roller conveyor 16, in the direction A as seen in FIG. 2, to take up a position on the roller conveyor above chains 23 of crossconveyor 24. From this position rods 14 are raised from roller conveyor 16 by actuating jacks 42 to raise the upper runs of chains 23 above rollers 18. Drive sprocket 30 is then rotated to move rods 14 laterally on chains 23 in the direction B, as seen in FIGS. 1 and 2, toward magnetic wheels 46. Each chain 23 is preferably a link chain of 1% inches pitch to accommodate a rod 14 in the hollow of each link when the chains are aligned.

As chains 23 move toward sprockets 28 they intersect the generated cylindrical locus of magnetic wheels 46 which are rotated at a constant speed to pick up rods 14 on flanges 54 of pole plates 52, being kept in spaced relationship on the magnetic wheel by teeth 60. If too many rods 14 arrive at one time at magnetic wheels 46 they merely bear against one another until the wheels have rotated sufficiently to pick them up individually. The main purpose of teeth 60 is to prevent rods 14 from moving out of parallel alignment with the axis of magnetic wheels 46.

As seen in FIGS. 5 and 6, magnetic wheels 46 carry rods 14 to an area immediately above cradle 72 where they are disengaged from the wheels by peeler arms 62. Oscillatory drive shaft 70 moves leading edges 64 of peeler arms 62 back and forth directly above cradle 72 in a cycle which disengages each succeeding rod 14 at a different lateral position in relation to the cradle, i.e. in laterally spaced relationship one with another with respect to a horizontal plane allowing the rods to fall sequentially into the cradle one beside another and to form superimposed rows.

When cradle 72 has been loaded with a suitable number of rods 14, carriage 80 of strapper 12 is moved on rails 82 to align jaws 86 with that gap 78 nearest one end of the cradle and frame 84 is moved to position the jaws in the gap below the rods. Jaws 86 are then closed about rods 14 to form a bundle 90 and arm 88 is lowered to strap the bundle in known manner, as seen in FIG. 1. When strapping arm 88 is raised and jaws 86 are reopened, frame 84 retracts the jaws from gap 78 and carriage 80 is moved along track 82 to perform the same sequence in succeeding gaps 78 until the strapping of bundle 90 is completed whereupon the bundle is ejected from cradle 72 in any suitable manner, for instance in the direction indicated by arrow C in FIG. 2 by a ram or by using at least two strappers 12 and lowering the cradle allowing strapper frames 84 to be withdrawn carrying bundle 90 with them.

Teeth 60 of each magnetic wheel 46 are preferably spaced apart to accommodate a single rod 14 although more than one bar might be held between pairs of teeth. Since rods 14 are taken up singly by magnetic wheel 46 the rods may pile up on chains 23 as seen in FIGS. and 6. If chains 23 are aligned, their shape may aid in separating rods 14 one from another as they are carried from conveyor 16 to magnetic wheels 46, as mentioned above. The oscillatory speed of peeler arm 62 and the contour of its edge 64 are chosen to achieve a regular sequential contact with rods 14; thus the angular speed of the peeler would be less when it is moving counter to magnetic wheel 46 than when it is moving in the same direction and this would be achieved by a conventional cam mechanism. A variable speed control on oscillatory drive shaft 70 enables the speed of peeler arm 62 to be varied for laying batches of rods 14 of different diameters; for example the speed of the peeler arm would have to be increased for a batch of rods of larger diameter. Of course peeler arm 62 could be mounted on an oscillatory axis off-centre from magnctic wheel 46.

It will be appreciated that various modifications of the device could be made within the scope of the invention. For instance cross-conveyor 24 could be made vertically stationary and roller conveyor 16 could be made vertically movable to enable rods 14 to be transferred onto the cross-conveyor. In another modification peelers 64 could be made stationary and shaft 44 could be made laterally movable to separate rods 14 from magnetic wheels 46, requiring chains 23 to be engaged about a pair of additional sprockets in an S eonfiguration, one of the additional sprockets being mounted with shaft 44 on a common frame movable horizontally on frame 21.

I claim: 1. Apparatus for stacking metal rods for bundling, comprising:

conveyor means for moving laterally a plurality of said rods horizontally disposed; rotatable magnetic means oriented to pick up said rods from the conveyor means and move the rods in a horizontal cylindrical locus, said magnetic means comprising a plurality of spaced, coaxially aligned wheels rotatable together and each carrying a magnetic rim defining the cylindrical locus; peeling means subsequently to separate each moving rod successively from the magnetic means substantially parallel to the axis of the locus and below the horizontal axial plane of the cylindrical locus, each separated rod being oriented substantially parallel to the axis of the cylindrical locus, said peeling means comprising-a plurality of members one adjacent each of said wheels, the members each having a free edge intersecting the cylindrical locus and oscillatable together in an arc in said locus, the free edges of the members being aligned; and a cradle located beneath the magnetic means to receive each rod dropping successively therefrom. 2. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 in which each of said members is pivotable about the axis of said wheels. 3. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 including variable speed drive meansconnected with the peeling means for oscillation thereof. 

1. Apparatus for stacking metal rods for bundling, comprising: conveyor means for moving laterally a plurality of said rods horizontally disposed; rotatable magnetic means oriented to pick up said rods from the conveyor means and move the rods in a horizontal cylindrical locus, said magnetic means comprising a plurality of spaced, coaxially aligned wheels rotatable together and each carrying a magnetic rim defining the cylindrical locus; peeling means subsequently to separate each moving rod successively from the magnetic means substantially parallel to the axis of the locus and below the horizontal axial plane of the cylindrical locus, each separated rod being oriented substantially parallel to the axis of the cylindrical locus, said peeling means comprising a plurality of members one adjacent each of said wheels, the members each having a free edge intersecting the cylindrical locus and oscillatable together in an arc in said locus, the free edges of the members being aligned; and a cradle located beneath the magnetic means to receive each rod dropping successively therefrom.
 2. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 in which each of said members is pivotable about the axis of said wheels.
 3. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 including variable speed drive means connected with the peeling means for oscillation thereof. 